Free-agent pitcher Ian Kennedy signed with the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
According to the Associated Press, Kennedy agreed to a five-year, $70 million deal. The deal includes an opt-out after two years and is pending a physical. Kennedy turned down a qualifying offer from the San Diego Padres that would have given him a guaranteed $15.8 million salary for this year. The Padres will get a draft pick from the Royals since Kennedy turned down the qualifying offer. Kennedy joins a Royals rotation that includes Edinson Volquez, Yordano Ventura, Kris Medlen, Chris Young, Danny Duffy, and Dillon Gee.
"We're going to continue to work our roster, massage it in ways that are going to help us win," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said recently. "If you look at the evolution of the 2015 roster, we made adjustments along the way, and I'm confident we're going to be able to do that."
Kennedy entered the majors in 2007 with the New York Yankees. He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010. In 2013 he was traded to the Padres. Last year he was 9-15 with a 4.28 ERA and 174 strikeouts, according to ESPN. Kennedy is 75-68 with a 3. 98 ERA and has 1,140 strikeouts in his nine-year career.
The Royals agreed to a two-year, $17.5 million contract extension with center-fielder Lorenzo Cain on Friday. They have also re-signed outfielder Alex Gordon and signed closer Joakim Soria this offseason. The Royals won the World Series last year.